The Censurion

Sen. Russ Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin, has sent along the lineup for Friday’s hearing on his effort to censure President Bush over the NSA wiretapping program.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will be hosting:

Bruce Fein, a constitutional lawyer, served in President Ronald Reagan’s Department of Justice as Deputy Attorney General. Fein testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 28th, 2006, regarding the President’s warrantless wiretapping program.

And:

John Dean served as Counsel to President Nixon. Prior to his White House service, he served as Chief Minority Counsel to the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. In 1973, Dean testified before the Senate Watergate Committee. According to the Senate Library, Dean last testified before Congress in 1974. Dean currently is a columnist and lecturer on law and government and has authored several books on those issues.

The senator also has included a helpful ”myth vs. fact” rundown of issues surrounding the censure hearings. The White House blog won’t sport with your patience by posting them all, but here is one, just for conversation:

Myth: The law is unclear about whether the President’s wiretapping program is legal.

Fact: The law is clear that the criminal wiretap statute and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) are the only authority for wiretapping individuals inside the United States. The few details that the President has provided about his wiretapping program show clearly that that he ignored these laws.

FISA states specifically that the criminal wiretap statute and FISA ”shall be the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance . . . and the interception of domestic wire, oral, and electronic communications may be conducted.” The President and his administration have conceded that the program is conducted without getting the court orders required by FISA.